1. Field of Invention
An apparatus, method and computer program product for actively controlling the illumination of a mobile terminal backlight according to the surrounding environment and a mobile terminal that implements such an apparatus and method are provided.
2. Discussion of the Background
A mobile terminal is a device that can be carried around and have one or more functions such as voice and video call communication, inputting and outputting information, storing data, and the like.
As such the functions become more diversified, the mobile terminal can support more complicated functions such as capturing images or video, reproducing music or video files, playing games, receiving broadcast signals, and the like. By comprehensively and collectively implementing such functions, the mobile terminal may be embodied in the form of a multimedia player or device.
In order to implement various functions, numerous attempts are being made and implemented in terms of hardware or software in such multimedia player or devices. For example, a user interface environment is provided to allow users to easily and conveniently search or select one or more functions.
Also, as users consider their mobile terminal to be a personal portable device that may express their personality, various designs for the mobile terminals are required. For example, folder type, slide type, bar type and rotation type designs are employed for mobile terminals.
However, the related art mobile terminal simply controls the brightness of a backlight used in a display unit, without actively controlling the brightness according to ambient illumination (i.e., the brightness of the surrounding environment).
Namely, the brightness of backlight illumination is controlled by about two steps according to an operation state of the mobile terminal, not according to the surrounding environment. For example, when the folder part of the related art mobile terminal is opened, the backlight is unconditionally controlled to operated at its maximum brightness regardless of ambient illumination, and when the mobile terminal returns to the standby state after the lapse of time, the backlight is unconditionally controlled to operate at its minimum brightness.
Thus, in the related art mobile terminal, because the illumination of the backlight is controlled without considering the ambient illumination conditions, when the backlight is unconditionally controlled to operate at its maximum brightness, power consumption increases, and when the backlight is unconditionally controlled to operate at its minimum brightness, visibility of the display unit is degraded.